Raffling a Husband.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 105, 8 April 1885, Page 4

Raffling a Husband.

A Frenchman of fine family, though impoverished by the Revolution, aspired to a post under Government, to occupy which it was necessary to furnish a certain sum to deposit as security. Our hero could not obtain the requisite amount from friends, and at last hit; upon an expedient to put an easy end to the 1 difficulty. He caused an advertisement to appear m one of the journals as follows ; — ■'A youiig ■ tnan, occupy ing an honourable position, wishes to marry a lady well brought up, and possessed of two hundred and fifty francs." 1 Two hundred and fifty francs are but ten pounds; and as there are many women m the wo* ld who would be glad to purchase a young and honourably connected husband on such moderate terms, it was natural that the advertiser, m the course of three days, during which his notice appeared" " m public, should have received many letters and applications. The young man addressed a note ~to : each of the applicants, appointing a place and hour when he should meet them together, and politely inviting them to come and look at him; : On the evening indicated they came, and, it is said, the company numbered full two hundred women. When all had assembled, the young man the meeting,' and made a speech, m which he thanked these ladies for the honour they proposed conferring upon him. 'But,' said the self-possessed young man, 'you must understand, ladies, perfecCly^ well, that I 'cannot marry I you all ; moreover, you are all so charming' (many of them were horrible witches), it would be utterly impossible for me to choose amongst such lovely! creatures. This* then* is my proposition : Consider me as an object put up at lottery. You number two hundred; make two hundred tickets, at two hundred and fifty francs (i? 10) each, and the gross sum realised shall be the fortune of the lady who draws the lucky number, and whom I pledge ; td marry immediately.' They hesitated a moment, but the youth was good-looking, and the ladies were anxious to marry. One of them determined to accept the proposition, and the rest followed like a flock of sheep. As if to reward our. ventursome friend for his courage, his fortunate stars directed that he should fall to the lot of a youthful and pretty girl, whose greatest fault ' is an unhappy passion for practising on the piano. True to his word, the young man married her, and by last accounts, the couple thus strangely brought to- ether were passing a pleasant honeymoon,